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September 25, 2004
The Hurricane Season That Wouldn't End

When Hurricane Charley hit Florida, we quickly gathered our forces to help send money to the victims of that storm. Little did we know that right behind Charley was a trail of hurricanes; Frances, Ivan and now Jeanne.

Charley hit Aug. 3 as a Category 4 on the Safford-Simpson scale with winds of 145 mph. Frances hit on Labor Day weekend as a Category 2 with winds of 105 mph, and Ivan hit last week as a strong Category 3 with winds of 130 mph.

Charley was more than just a hurricane, it was a media event. And with each subsequent storm after it, the media frenzy has died down just a bit and, with it, the sense of urgency that comes with powerful storms.

We hope that the people in the projected path of Jeanne are not so jaded at this time that they aren't taking the hurricane seriously. We know that those in the previously affected areas are serious about their preparations, but for those in the areas not yet hit by big storms this season, please take heed: Just because you're weary of all the hurricane news and forecasts, don't turn a jaded eye towards those warnings.

And now, the news.

Jeanne is already pounding the Bahamas and turning its eye toward Florida. 800,000 people have been told to evacuate, though up to 3 million are fleeing the areas.. Forecasters say that while Jeanne is currently a category 2, they are not ruling out the possibility of it turning into a category 4 (see hurricane category explanations here).

Jeanne is already responsible for over 600 deaths in Haiti alone. The already devastated area is now encountering problems with gangs looting aid supplies. Troops from Sri Lanka are on their way to Haiti as part of a U.N. mission to restore order. Aid workers are worried about disease, as the sewage system there was torn apart by floods.

As Jeanne makes her way towards the east coast, we'll keep on eye on the latest forecasts and predictions for you, as well keep you posted on evacuations, closings, cancellations and local news.

You can check out blogger Kathy Kinsley, who has a long list of links to people who are hurricane blogging, for both up to the minute news and localized stories.

Update: Jeanne has been upgraded to a Category 3.

Posted by Michele at September 25, 2004 10:56 AM | TrackBack
Comments

..she`s here hold your breath and pray..
..just a little story about people and stupidity,about 7ish a report was being reported that there were "Hundreds" of surfers in the surf; then it was flashed that the Coast Guard was searching for a surfer who was missing..in the area..

Posted by: Rob_NC [TypeKey Profile Page] at September 25, 2004 09:46 PM

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